Third week in Advent

Third week in Advent

hope - peace - JOY - love -light


"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” ~1 John 1:3

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” ~Philippians 2:1-2

It’s time to SHARE the joy. Here are some ideas from my friend Anne Bierling at the Shepherd’s House (Page 12, The Life Model; Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You:)

Building Joy:

Building joy means getting closer to God and to people. While it is a very authentic process that cannot be fabricated, here are some “joy-building” ideas to first practice with our families and then extend to the wounded community.

1. Smile whenever you greet those you love, and use sincere voice tones.

2. Ask questions that invite others to tell you truthfully how they are doing, and what they are thinking. Listen intently without interrupting.

3. Take a sincere interest in really knowing the other person. Work hard to understand the other’s fears, joys, passions, talents and pain.

4. Treat each other with dignity and respect. When ending a discussion, try to make both people feel affirmed.

5. Use touch whenever appropriate: Hold hands, link arms, give hugs and use physical connection as effectively as you can.

6. Discover what brings the person joy: a time to talk, encouraging notes, a helping hand, or evening walks. Custom fit your attempts to bring joy.

7. Give them little surprises that will cause their eyes to light up, and let your eyes light up, too! The joy builds as the glances go back and forth

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

If it only takes a spark to get a fire going,
help me pass on the Joy that You give us this Christmas.

I love You, Jesus, Amen.

Third week in Advent

Third week in Advent
hope - peace - JOY - love -light

“the joy of the LORD is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10b

I’ll be the first to admit it. Joy is a hard thing, especially this time of year. Joy is a sense of well being. If you’re like me, you don’t always handle stress well, or you suffer from bouts of depression. But you see, that’s all the more reason we need true joy.

I have a friend, Anne, who’s a family counselor. She used to be a school counselor. She contends that the true definition of joy is being in meaningful and reciprocated love-relationships.
Anne says that joy is being glad to be with someone who’s glad to be with you. That’s why Nehemiah 8:10 is SO true! God delights in you. He always, always LOVES to be with you. He LOVES it when you choose to spend time with Him: Prayer, reading His Bible, meditating on Him, His Word, & His love. Singing or listening to praise music.

This Christmas season, try setting aside time to spend with Him each day. It helps you get centered. It brings peace of mind and it works away those blues. Heck, when you’re most desperately lonely, afraid, or depressed, don’t you just wish someone would hold you and let you cry in their arms? He’ll do that too- cry yourself asleep while praying and you’ll probably wake up in a much better mood.

Are you as happy to be in His company as He is to be in yours? Try spending time with Him, it becomes almost addictive. The more time you spend with Him, the more you enjoy it. It’s good for your mental health- just like prayer brings peace, which is good for your health. Joy is too. Don’t take my word for it, see what these mental health professionals say:

“Having enough joy strength is fundamental to a person’s well being. We now know that a 'joy center' exists in the right orbital pre-frontal cortex of the brain. It has executive control over the entire emotional .system. When the joy center has been sufficiently developed it regulates emotions, pain control and immunity centers; it guides us to act like ourselves; it releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and seratonin; and it is the only part of the brain that overrides the main drive centers -food and sexual impulses, terror and rage.*”

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for wanting to spend time with me. Help me make time for you, show me what it’s like to have TRUE joy. Help me get my strength from being with You, so that You’ll renew my strength and lift me up on eagle’s wings!

I love You, Jesus, Amen.

(*Page 12, The Life Model; Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You, by Dr. James Friesen, Dr. James Wilder, Anne Bierling, Rick Koepke and Maribeth Poole. © 2000 Shepherd’s House, Inc. ISBN# 0-9674357-0-6)